Commissioner Henning reacts to the death of former county manager, Jim Mudd.

More than 300 people gathered to honor former Collier County manager Jim Mudd on Monday at a ceremony dedicating the Emergency Services Center in his name.

Former Collier County Manager Jim Mudd, who recently left the position due to a brain tumor, shares his phone call made to City Manager Steve Thompson from a hospital bed when he believed he only had 30 days to live. Mudd received a symbolic "key to the city" from Marco City Council Chairman Rob Popoff Tuesday evening.

Video by multimedia journalist Kelly Farrell

Former Collier County Manager and retired U.S. Army Colonel Jim Mudd has lost his fight with brain cancer.

Mudd, 58, died Saturday morning, a little more than one year after he resigned as county manager Sept. 29, 2009.

Mudd told county commissioners in April 2009 that he was fighting primary brain cancer.

"It's very sad," Collier County Commissioner Jim Coletta said Saturday . "He was a close friend, a mentor and an example of leadership."

Mudd is survived by his wife, Annette , and two children, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Mudd and U.S. Army Capt. Katherine Dengler .

County Manager Leo Ochs said that while Mudd's military code of 'duty, honor, country' were guiding principles, one other stood foremost in Mudd's life.

"You can add 'family' to that list because nothing else meant more to Jim than Toni, Ryan and Kati," Ochs wrote in a statement.

Mudd took over as county manager on July 15, 2002. Prior to that appointment, Mudd served as public utilities administrator and deputy county manager.

Commissioner Tom Henning said he prayed for Mudd's family Saturday.

"Jim Mudd has done a lot for this community," Henning said. "He's put in a lot of infrastructure, so he's a part of us and we are blessed by that."

Mudd oversaw more than $1.15 billion in capital projects, including improvements to Goodlette-Frank Road and Golden Gate Parkway and construction of the Freedom Park Memorial.

County officials in November dedicated the new Emergency Operations Center on Lely Cultural Parkway in Mudd's name.

When he spoke at the center's dedication, where some 350 people turned out to honor him, he said he was reminded of advice given to him, and given by him: "Be brief. Be brilliant. And be gone," he said drawing laughter.

His family did not have a comment on Saturday but their spokesman, Reg Buxton, who is also a Daily News consultant, said the county was lucky to have had someone as intelligent and dedicated as Mudd.

He recalled one of Mudd's many military accomplishments as one of Gen . Norman Schwarzkopf planners for the first Gulf War. "Schwarzkopf called him one of his four Jedi Knights, if I remember the story correctly," Buxton said.

The Gulf War veteran had graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1974 and earned a master's degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1982.

Hired in 2000 to head up public utilities, Mudd was promoted to deputy county manager in October 2001 and moved into the top job nine months later.

When Jim Mudd took over county leadership from Tom Olliff, the challenge then was to systematically expand services within the rapidly growing county, while regaining public trust after a development scandal.

His last challenge: shrinking budgets and a reduced staff to keep stride with the county's economic crisis without scrimping on services.

Three years into his service as county manager, Mudd was earning rave reviews and big salary raises. They continued in 2009, when he announced he was stepping down as county manager.

Mudd was in charge when Collier County finally began to emerge from the dark clouds of the Stadium Naples controversy that lasted some six years. The development project had been designed to bring in national golf tournaments but led to accusations of bribery and indictments of county leaders and businessmen.

The case damaged the credibility and trustworthiness of Collier County government and cast a suspicion of corruption on all public officials.

Commissioner Fred Coyle has said Mudd helped regain public trust.

Mudd helped guide county residents through back-to-back hurricanes. Hurricane Charley damaged parts of Collier in 2004 and Wilma tore through much of the county in October 2005.

In other issues, Mudd worked to fend off Pelican Bay's desire to become part of the city of Naples. Other priorities given to Mudd were a long-range plan for improvements east of Collier Boulevard; developing a five-year business plan; and increasing capital construction projects to deal with growth.

In 2006, Commissioner Donna Fiala said that Mudd deserved credit for everything Collier accomplished for the prior few years, including massive improvements to stormwater management and waste management.

His base salary that year was $168,000, but with bonuses and benefits, his package was around $217,000, having grown from a 2003 salary of $153,000.

Commissioner Frank Halas has said Mudd provided great leadership, and stressed the county's federal legislative agenda and securing money for the following projects: Interstate 75/Everglades development and study; Lely Area Stormwater Improvement Project; I-75/Collier Boulevard/Davis Boulevard interchange; Naples Zoo and Pedestrian Park; South Immokalee Park Community Center and stormwater drainage projects.

Mudd's other successes around the same time will leave their mark on Collier County for decades to come. Among them:

■ Collier Area Transit, the county's bus system, began service in January 2007.

■ Some $15.2 million was invested in stormwater improvement projects for the first six months.

■ A courthouse annex parking garage was completed and a seven-story courthouse annex got under way.

■ The Golden Gate Library expansion began, as did South Regional Library construction.

■ Construction began on a new Emergency Operations Center in East Naples.

■ Video on demand became available at Collier County government's Web site.

By 2008, Mudd was grappling with effects of a weakening economy and a declining real estate market.

He once again rejected a pay raise for himself because he was cutting back staff salaries.

Capital improvements continued but a hiring freeze was put in place in county government. An early retirement incentive was offered to reduce county government's work force, and there were layoffs.

Among a handful of major road projects that his administration tackled, Immokalee Road widening was completed from U.S. 41 to Shady Hollow Boulevard. So was the Rattlesnake Hammock Road expansion – from Polly Avenue to Collier Boulevard – to six lanes.

Freedom Park, at Goodlette-Frank Road and Golden Gate Parkway, was under construction and county staff worked with the state Department of Environmental Protection and Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park to expand beach parking.

"As we head into 2009, I believe that 2008 was one of the most triumphant years in this government's history," Mudd said at the time.

Mudd's greatest accomplishment was probably the ability to lead the county through an excruciating shrinkage of its tax base, budget dollars and jobs, Coyle has said.

In early October, nine years after moving to Collier County – almost to the day – Mudd, then 57, retired. Ochs, one of his assistants, succeeded him as county manager.

Ochs called Mudd a master of every detail and the big picture.

Mudd had begun battling a malignant brain tumor on March 20.

Despite endless, nauseating rounds of chemotherapy, Mudd held himself upright and with dignity as he said goodbye to fellow workers and elected officials.

"The courage exhibited by Jim during the past 18 months was inspiration," Ochs said. "However, the tenacity and spirit that Jim demonstrated in this battle really came as no surprise to those of us who knew him well."

Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Fuller Funeral Home, 1625 Pine Ridge Road. A funeral mass will be held on 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 5260 28th Ave. S.W. Family and friends are invited to attend both services.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested that memorial contributions be made to Avow Hospice at 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, FL 34105 or www.avowhospice.org; St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church or the charity of your choice.